I haven't been able to find any info on this obvious and clearly well-established route. If anyone knows...
This is an obvious slab route up the westernmost (leftmost) buttress on the Upper Infirmary Slabs. The route is pretty moderate but sustained at the 5.6ish level. Bolts are spaced about six feet apart with the first no more than six feet off the deck making this an ideal first slab lead. Staying to the left edge yeilds a nice pure-slab climb while staying right allows you to use an obvious shallow crack system. The layout and sheer number of bolts suggests that there may even be two lines here. Seems strange given that the buttress is less than ten feet wide!
Protection
Eight or nine closely-spaced bolts to a two-bolt and chain anchor.
Add PhotoPhotos of Little Flatiron Left [aka West Buttress]
Dave Mencin midway up the slab.
Add CommentComments on Little Flatiron Left [aka West Buttress]
I'm responsible for the bolts on this route. At present, it doesn't have an official name (listed as "Little Flatiron Left: 5.6" in my ongoing guide project). 8 bolts is what I remember, in 90 feet -- cams can be placed at a couple horizontal cracks if desired.After the decision was made to bolt it, I decided to make it a comfortable lead for a 5.6 climber, rather than a comfortable lead for a 5.10 climber.
Yes, there are two lines here ("Little Flatiron Right: 5.8+" is the other one). Clip the first three bolts of the left line, gear at a horizontal, then one more bolt at a 5.8+ bulge, and then follow an easy crack (gear) to a final bolt, and end at the same anchor.
My apologies if you thought there were too many bolts (or that the routes were too close). I figured the climbs were nice enough that it was worth it to bolt them in a style that 5.6 - 5.8 climbers would find safe.
Thanks for the info (and all the bolts), Bernard. Good to know that my intuition was correct and that there are two lines here. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with lots of bolts making life easier for novice leaders such as myself. Thanks! In a canyon full of hard-man routes, Upper [Infirmary] is a great crag with lots of climbs at or slightly above my level.....
Upper Infirmary Slabs
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